

THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 

* 2 ------ 



gift from hi*». Kothari refuses to receive the neck¬ 
lace, and, with a wistful look, says: 

SP: 51 1 ASK it AS A GREAT FAVOR, MISS VANBRUGH. IT IS 

MI PARTING GIFT, AND I HOPE YOU WILL LIVE LONG TO■ 
WEAR IT o ' 


She looks at Winslow, and Kothari urging the latter 
to use his influence to make her accept the necklace, 
she finally consents. Kothari takes her hand and’ 
wishes her happiness, shakes hands with Winslow, and 
walks from the room, closing the door softly behind 
him. For a moment Helen and Winslow look at each 
other, she delighted and holding the necklo.ce to her 
throat, he glad to see her pleased. She asks him to 
clasp it about her neck, and he does so, kissing her 
fondly. (Fade out.) 

44. DINING ROOM AT MRS. VANBRUGH 1 S. (Long shot.) Fire 
burning in the grate at the extreme end of the bi^ - < 
room. Dinner is being served. There are twenty ° 
guests present, and all is happiness and good 
fellowship. (Fade out.) 


45 . 


46. 


47. 


48. 


VANDORP AND HALE IN SPEEDING AUTOMOBILE. (Fade out.) 


EXTERIOR OF A HOUSE IN NEW YORK, THERE WINSLOW HAS 
HIS STUDIO.^ Vandorp and Hale drive up, jump from 
the automobile, run up the steps, and ring the bell 
T *\ e , door is opened by an elderly woman, 
and tney breathlessly inquire for Winsldw. She 
tells them he has gone out, but does not know where, 
and they hurry dotfn the steps and drive off. (Fade out.) 


DINING ROOM At MRS. VANBRUGH'S. (Long shot.) (Fade in.) 
ihe dinner is nearing its end., and the dessert is being 
served. One of the men rises and taps his wine-glass. 
He proposes the toast of the engaged*couple. 


VANDORP AND HALE IK AUTOMOBILE, 
YORK STREETS. 


SPEEDING THROUGH NEW 


49. DINING ROOM AT MRS. VANBRUGH*S. They are drinking 
the health of the young couple. They are standing, 
with glasses raised to Helen and Winslow. 

50. EXTERIOR OF MRS. VANBRUGH'S HOUSE. Vandorp and Hale 
dash tip, fling themselves from the automobile before 
it haspcome to a stop, run up the steps, and rin^ 
the bell furiously. A servant opens the door, and 


4 


- 34 - 




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THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


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for a moment 
appearance. 


hesitates, startled by their excited 
They brush the servant aside and enter. 


DINING- ROOM. The guests are just putting down their g1. 
glasses when the door is flung open and Vandorp and 
Hale burst into the room. For a moment all is 
confusion, all eyes are turned upon them. Vandorp 
springs forward and snatches the necklace from 
Helen 1 s throat. Before Halo can stop him, Vandorp, 
his only thought to get rid of the necklace, throws 
it into the fire at the far end of the room. 

Realizing what he has done, Vandorp springs back; 
the next moment there is an explosion which wrecks 
the grate, mantelpiece, and far end of the room. 

Those present stare at Vandorp and Hale, unable to 
comprehends. Helen, realizing the ghastly peril she 
has miraculously escaped, staggers and all but 
faints. Vandorp turns to Winslow and tells him to 
take her away, and Winslow, supporting her on his 
arm, leads her from the room. 


CONSERVATORY OF HRS. VANBRUGH*S HOUSE, WITH FRENCH 
WINDOWS LEADING- TO G-ARDEN, Helen and Winslow enter, 
and for a second or two stand in the centre of the 
room. He calms her, and she recovers her composure. 
Together, they walk over to the French window. He 
opens it, and they look out into the night. Then, 
with a whispered word he draws her to him in an access 
tenderness. They step out into the moonlit garden, 
(iris down.) 


THE' END. 


- 35 - 




r* 


THE HARVARD COURSE 

IN 

PHOTOPLAY WRITING 



UNIT I. 

The Photoplay. 

COPYRIGHT BY 

THE HARVARD COMPANY, INC. 
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 

































/ 

THE HARVARD COURSE 

IN 

PHOTOPLAY WRITING 



UNIT I. 

The Photoplay. 


COPYRIGHT BY 

THE HARVARD COMPANY, INC 

a 

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 




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JAN 22 ’24 ' 

(Cj Cl A 7 7 (J 2 8 3 




24-/Xrr/3t. 


THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


In all history there has been nothing more 
romantic and spectacular than the rise of the Silent 
Drama. The demand for this form of entertainment has 
grown, and continues to grow , so rapidly .that new pro¬ 
ducing companies are formed almost each week* The 
supply of available material has diminished in proportion 
to the increased demand, until to-day the Motion Picture 
Industry is literally bankrupt for stories. Hence, the 
prices paid for the filmrights to books and stage-plays 
are mounting to truly extravagant figures. The Genius 
of the Screen, D.W. Griffith., paid $175,000.00 for the 
right to screen “WAY DOWN EAST,” while “BEN HUR U is held 
at the astounding figufce of $500,000.00, with the holders 
of the rights by no means eager to sell. 


The essential requirements for writing accept¬ 


able Photoplays are imagination and a working knowledge 
of not only the correct method of presenting your ideas, 
but also of the demands and technical limitations of the 
modern Studio. It is becoming more widely understood eaoh 
day that writing Photoplays is not a nattiral gift, but ,a 
profession, a trade, just like bookkeeping, tailoring or 
furniture-making. This most lucrative of all professions 







THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 




demands neither genius nor literary skill; but you must 
learn to present ideas, just as you must learn to keep 
books or make clothes. The producers pay you for your 
work, and pay you well; and in return they demand that 
you write your plays, not the way you want to &wite them, 
but the way they want them written. In brief, they'de¬ 
mand, and have a right to demand, that before submitting 
your work you study the underlying principles of the 
photoplay and follow the rules of the game. 

GLASSIFICATION OF ACTORS. 

Actors are classified according as they 
customarily assume the part of one type or another. 

The members of a company are selected with reference 
to them. .Most important of all, from the present 
point of view, plays are usually bought by the Producer 
to fit a certain star, and this fact should be kept in 
mind when writing plays. 

THE STAR, 

An actor of actress of unusual talent or repu¬ 
tation, who plays th.e leading part in a play, is called 
a Star. When writing Star Plays, the part of the Star 
must be emphasized; the Star must be given the lion 1 s 
share of the strong scenes, kept upon the screen the great¬ 
er portion of the play, and made the centre of attraction 
during the entire performance. The lines and incidents of 






THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


the plot must be so arranged as to give the Star every 
possible opportunity of displaying his or her gifts. 

DOUBLE STARS. 

These are rapidly comingoto the front, many plays 
being constructed so as to give two stars equal shares in the 
honors of the performance. 

WHAT CONSTITUTES A PHQTO-BLIY. 

In the broadest sense, a photo-play is a complete 
- and unified story of human life acted out ypon the screen 
in a series of incidents or scenes so arranged as to excite 
the greatest amount of interest and pleasure in the audience 
by means of 

Novelty, 

Variety , 

Contrast , 

Suspense , 

Surprise, 

Climax, 

Humor, 

Pathos, 

Above all, your story must please and interest 
your audience. You may discuss a social problem, you 
may point a moral if you wish, but you must do it in such 
a way that you compel the attention and interest of your 
audience from the first scene to the last. 

Your story should be original if possible; but 
even an old story, presented in a novel way, possesses 

s 

all the charm of novelty. Thus, even a very simple story 


-3- 








THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


may be made into a first-class play; and indeed, one of the 
most successful plays ever screened had nothing more than 
this for a plot: Bill wants to Marry Grace, but cannot do 
so because Fred has told her that Bill is in love with Myrtle* 
C-race, therefore, spurns Bill’s tender advances. Presently 
Bill discovers Fred’s treachery and marries Grace. A simple 
enough idea, surely; but it was the complications, the 
incidents, the obstacles, that put this play 11 across• ” 

Every story that has any value for photoplay 
purposes may be reduced, roughly, to this formula: 

A (meaning one or more characters) is trying to 
gain some end, to achieve some purpose. In this endeavor 
he is opposed by B (meaning one or more characters,) whoe 
tries to prevent A from carrying out his purpose. After 
a series of incidents, in which first one and then the 
other seems to have the upper hand, A finally succeeds 
in frustrating the designs of B. 

In other words, someone must kill, or steal, 
or deceive, or love, or marry, or there can be no play. 




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THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


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_WHAT TO WH ITS - M D ' WH AT T O AVOID. 

Unless the story is one that can be acted out 
on the screen by men and women, it is worthless for 
photoplay purposes. It is not enough that it can be 
told; it must be acted . It must be capable of 
expression by those movements of the human body which 
tell of passion, emotion, resolve. It must be a 
story capable of being told in pantomime; in dagger- 
thrusts, kisses, frowns, laughter, caresses, eating, 
fighting and dying. If it ’-satisfies these require¬ 
ments, it is a photoplay story; if it does not, all the 
fine language ever used will not save it from the 
Scenario Editor’s waste-basket; It may make a good 
novel or a good poem, but it v/ill never make a 
successful photoplay. 

Even if it possess all the qualifications, 
however, your story may still fail as a play. Many 
beginners with really good, salable ideas fail through 
ignorance of the conventionalities and the technical 
limitations which enter into the production of film 
dramas. There are definite cast-iron rules which 


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THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


1. Those arising from -the conditions nndor Which 

motion pictures are produced. 

2. Traditions developed at various times during 

the history of the photoplay. 

3. The rules set up by the Board of Censors. 

In writing your play, do. not lobe sight of the 
fact that production, these days, is expensive, and that 
the item of cost plays an important role when your manu¬ 
script is under consideration by the Scenario Editors. 

By all means provide for settings within reason, but do 
not stipulate for an earthquake "go kill your villian 
when there are so many ways of accomplishing this 
laudable purpose with infinitely less expense. Do not 
demand your hero shall land on the observation 
platform of a rushing express train from, a soaring aero¬ 
plane; this kind of story is invariably written by an 
expressly commissioned playwright, who, moreover, has an 
expressly prepared outline to work from, and an exact 
knowledge of the. kind of stunts the particular star for 
whom it is intended can do. Until you have " arrived 
and are familiar with the facilities of the command of 
the studio that is to produce your play, make your plays 
as normal and simple as you can. 

It is possible nowadays, by employing sunlight 
arcs, spotlights, and similar contrivances, to take 
night scenes. These aros cost several thousand dollars 


-6- 




THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


eaoh, however, and on account of their size and weight 
are difficult to transport from place to place. Hence, 
it is best to have your characters form the habit of 
staying at home nights whenever possible. 

Further, a story of the late lamented war, in 
which a windmill is hit by a shell and a spy who has been 
hiding there is thrown headlong through the drawing-room 
window of an old castle into the arms of the General 
commanding the opposing forces, may be very delightful 
reading, but it won’t be easy to film it; and then," too, 
your spy may have a wife and family to support. 

Generally speaking, there is nothing that cannot 
be produced, and if your story must have such a scene, put 
it in, regardless of cost; but do not do so unless absolutely 
necessary. Remember always these two things: First, that 
the average producer is not particularly anxious to spend 
any more money than he has to in the production".of a play; 
and second, that, although a good many of the ’’thrills” 
are faked, many are not, as the fact that to date 
approximately 39,000 motion picture actors have met with 
more or less serious accidents abundantly testifies. 

* * * 


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THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


+ CENS ORSHIP RULES» _ 

The censorship rules, generally speaking, 
are not very stringent, the principal requirement 
being that the play shall not be offensive to good, 
taste. The Board of Censors will bar a play for 
any of the following reasons: 

1, Because it contains scenes of moral 

depravity. 

2. Because immorality or crime triumphs 

over virtue?. 

3. Because it shows the actual method of 

commiting a crime, * 

4, Because it is unpatriotic. 

5, Because it encourages anarohy or revolution. 

6. Because it libels a plage, religion, industry 

or person. 

Further, the largest producers have recently 

agreed among themselves to ”purify" the “movies“ still 

further, and have set up a list of “fourteen poihts, 3 4 5 6 * * * * 11 
which will be observed in future when considering 
plays submitted to them for production. It is hoped 
by this to scotch the movement which lately has gained 

ground for the institution of a State Censorship over 








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THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


the mov±e3. Following are the private rules mentioned: 

1. no pictures showing sox attraction in an im¬ 

proper or suggestive manner,, 

2. No pictures dealing with n white slavery," dope, or 

illicit alcohol. 

3. Stories built up on illicit love permissible 

only if they convey a moral lesson. 

4. Nakedness not permissible. 

5. inciting or suggestive dances not permissible. 

6. No unnecessarily long passionate love scenes. 

7. No stories principally concerned with the 

.-Underworld. 

8. No pictures making drufakenness or gambling 

attractive. 

9. No pictures which might instruct the morally 

weak in crime methods. 

10. No stories which might offend any religious 

sect. 

11. No incidents showing disrespect for any 

religion. 

12. Suggestive comedy barred. 

13. Unnecessary depiction of robbery or bloodshed 

must be avoided. 

14. No s&laoious or suggestive titles. 


- 9 - 







THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


CLA SSIFICATION OF PLAYS. 


THE THEME. 


By the “Theme” of a play is meant the 
problem which the play presents for the consideration 
of the audience. 

It should not be inferred that the playwright 
must select a theme at the outset and build his play 
upon it. He may have a theme, or he may set to work 
Unconsciously and find with astonishment, when his work 
is over, that a theme has grown up unbidden. 

1.) THE DRAMA. 

The general characteristic of this type of play 
is the predominance of the emotional element, a tendency 
to sentimentality, and a rapid movement of incident. 

It calls for powerful situations displaying intense 
passion and emotion. Intrigue and crime furnish the 
ne c e s s ary c omplie ations. 

The theme should be some topic of the day. 

Love is the standing thome of this class of play. 


- 10 - 















THE HARVARD COURSE IN PHOTOPLAY WRITING 


2. ) THE COMEDY. 

In a comedy there is conflict, which is always 
reconciled in the end, and all disasters averted. The 
conflict itself, however serious it may have seemed all 
through the play, turns out to have been a case of much 
ado about nothing. The characters are either not serious 
in their aims and purposes, or, if they are, the objeots 
for which they have been striving are shown to be worth¬ 
less. In comedy some on© is usually represented as 
pursuing a bubble. At the close of the play, the bubble 
bursts. The theme in comedy is of less consequence than 
in drama, and in the lighter forms of comedy usually is 
not present at all. 

3. THE SLAPSTICK COMEDY (FARCE.) 

These should hot be attempted, as there is 
practically no market for them. Slapstick comedies 
are usually filmed in a series of disjointed incidents, 
eaoh taken for its comis possibilities alone, and joined 
afterward. The producers usually 0 invent” this type of 
play as they go along, suiting the scenes to a particular 
star whom they are exploiting. 


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